New Mexico Administrative Code
Title 6 - PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION
Chapter 30 - EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS - GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
Part 8 - DISTANCE LEARNING
Section 6.30.8.7 - DEFINITIONS

A. "Asynchronous instruction" means the course provider and the distance-learning student do not interact at the same time and can, but need not, utilize the internet.

B. "Council on technology in education" means the council established pursuant to the Technology for Education Act [22-15A-5 NMSA 1978], which advises the department on implementing educational technology, promotes the collaborative development and implementation of educational technologies, develops and recommends a statewide plan to the department related to educational standards, and provides assistance to the department in reviewing school district technology plans to support on-site and distance learning.

C. "Course provider" means a person, institution, or organization that supplies educational course content for distance learning courses.

D. "Department" means the public education department.

E. "Distance learning" means the technology and educational process used to provide instruction for credit or grade when the course provider and the distance-learning student are not necessarily physically present at the same time or place. Distance learning does not include educational software that utilizes only on-site teaching.

F. "Distance learning course" means an educational course that is taught where the student and primary instructor are separated by time or space and linked by technology.

G. "Distance learning irregularities" means any circumstances within or beyond the control of a local distance learning site that in the opinion of the department or a local distance learning site raises doubts about the propriety of procedures followed, preparation or validity of materials, testing administration, testing security, online security, or teacher or student conduct.

H. "Distance learning student" means a qualified student as defined in 22-8-2 NMSA 1978 who is enrolled in one or more distance learning courses for credit.

I. "District coordinator" means the superintendent or designee who administers and monitors the distance learning program in a public school district or charter school.

J. "Dual credit course" means a program of studies that allows high school students to enroll in college-level courses offered by public post-secondary educational institutions that may be academic or career-technical in nature, but may not be remedial or developmental, and through which students can simultaneously earn credit toward high school graduation and a post-secondary degree or certificate.

K. "Enrolling district" means the school district or charter school in which a distance-learning student is enrolled for the purposes of compulsory attendance. Students shall have only one enrolling district for purposes of membership.

L. "HED" means the higher education department.

M. "Innovative digital education and learning-New Mexico" or IDEAL-NM means the operating program for the administration and management of the statewide cyber academy.

N. "Local board" means the policy-setting body of a school district or the governing structure of a charter school as set forth in the school's charter.

O. "Local distance learning site" means a public school district or charter school that offers and grants credit for distance learning courses to distance learning students enrolled in public school districts, charter schools or contracted nonpublic schools.

P. "Membership" means the total number of qualified students as defined in 22-8-2 NMSA 1978.

Q. "Online" or "web based" means utilizing the internet.

R. "Public school" means that part of a school district that is a single attendance center in which instruction is offered by one or more teachers and is discernible as a building or group of buildings generally recognized as either an elementary, middle, junior high or high school or any combination of those and includes charter schools.

S. "Qualified distance learning student" means a qualified student as defined in 22-8-2 NMSA 1978, who is also participating in distance learning courses for credit or a grade.

T. "REC" means regional education cooperative.

U. "Regional host" means an educational institution, school district or other entity selected by IDEAL-NM to coordinate the delivery of distance learning courses within a broad geographic region of the state.

V. "Site coordinator" means a licensed school employee with the responsibility to facilitate student completion of online courses, including services related to student registration, monitoring student progress, communicating with online providers, and ensuring that grades are recorded on transcripts. Site coordinators shall not include substitute teachers.

W. "Statewide cyber academy" means the collaborative program among the department, HED, telecommunications networks and representatives of other state agencies engaged in providing distance education. The statewide cyber academy operates as IDEAL-NM.

X. "Student" means a qualified student as defined in 22-8-2 NMSA 1978.

Y. "Synchronous instruction" means the instructor and students interact at the same time, even though they might not be in the same physical location. Synchronous instruction includes: